(a) A license for a remote pickup station will be issued to: the licensee of an AM, FM, noncommercial FM, low power FM, TV, Class A TV, international broadcast or low power TV station; broadcast network-entity; or cable network-entity.

(b) Base stations may operate as automatic relay stations on the frequencies listed in § 74.402(b)(4) and (c)(1) under the provisions of § 74.436, however, one licensee may not operate such stations on more than two frequency pairs in a single area.

(c) Base stations may use voice communications between the studio and transmitter or points of any intercity relay system on frequencies in Groups I and J.

(d) Base stations may be authorized to establish standby circuits from places where official broadcasts may be made during times of emergency and circuits to interconnect an emergency survival communications system.

(e) In Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, base stations may provide program circuits between the studio and transmitter or to relay programs between broadcasting stations. A base station may be operated unattended in accordance with the following:

(1) The station must be designed, installed, and protected so that the transmitter can only be activated or controlled by persons authorized by the licensee.

(2) The station must be equipped with circuits to prevent transmitter operation when no signal is received from the station which it is relaying.

(f) Remote pickup stations may use only those frequencies and bandwidths which are necessary for operation.

(g) An application for a remote pickup broadcast station or system shall specify the broadcasting station with which the remote pickup broadcast facility is to be principally used and the licensed area of operation for a system which includes mobile stations shall be the area considered to be served by the associated broadcasting station. Mobile stations may be operated outside the licensed area of operation pursuant to § 74.24 of this part. Where the applicant for remote pickup broadcast facilities is the licensee of more than one class of broadcasting station (AM, FM, TV), all licensed to the same community, designation of one such station as the associated broadcasting station will not preclude use of the remote pickup broadcast facilities with those broadcasting stations not included in the designation and such additional use shall be at the discretion of the licensee.

(h) In cases where a series of broadcasts are to be made from the same location, portable or mobile transmitters may be left at such location for the duration of the series of broadcasts: Provided, The transmitting apparatus is properly secured so that it may not be operated by unauthorized persons when unattended. Prior Commission authority shall be obtained for the installation of any transmitting antenna which requires notification to the FAA, pursuant to § 17.7 of the Commission's rules and regulations, and which will be in existence for more than 2 days.

(i) The location of each remote pickup broadcast base station will be specified in the station or system license and such stations may not be operated at any other location without prior authority of the Commission.

(j) The license shall be retained in the licensee's files at the address shown on the authorization, posted at the transmitter, or posted at the control point of the station.

(k) In case of permanent discontinuance of operations of a station licensed under this subpart, the licensee shall cancel the station license using FCC Form 601. For purposes of this section, a station which is not operated for a period of one year is considered to have been permanently discontinued.

Note:

Licensees of remote pickup broadcast stations licensed prior to August 31, 1976, should not file applications to consolidate individually licensed transmitters under a single system license until the renewal application of the associated broadcast station is filed. Applications filed between August 31, 1976, and the date of filing of the renewal applications to obtain authorization to use additional transmitters or modification of existing stations shall be restricted to a single system application necessary to accomplish the desired change, but may include consolidation of previously-licensed transmitters within the system license. Applications submitted for system licensing prior to the time when renewal applications would normally be filed which are unnecessary for either administrative or operational purposes will be returned as unacceptable for filing.

FCC Form 601 was approved by OMB on December 5, 2014 and is effective on December 29, 2014.

47 CFR Part 74

Summary

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved on December 5, 2014, for a period for three years, a revision to an information collection for the FCC Application for Radio Service Authorization for the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, FCC Form 601. With this document, the Commission is announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the revised requirements for FCC Form 601.

This document contains corrections to the final regulations to the Commission's rules which were published in the Federal Register on Thursday, November 6, 2014 (79 FR 65906). The Commission published a clarification in the Declaratory Ruling, which clarifies how the Commission intends to preserve the “coverage area” of eligible broadcasters in the repacking process associated with the broadcast television spectrum incentive auctions. This document contains corrections to the adopted date.

This document clarifies how the Commission intends to preserve the “coverage area” as well as the “population served” of eligible broadcasters in the repacking process associated with the broadcast television spectrum incentive auction. This action is taken in order to remove any uncertainty regarding the repacking approach the Commission adopted in the Incentive Auction R&O.

The Commission announced that, effective immediately, it is suspending the expiration dates and construction deadlines for all outstanding construction permits for new digital low power television (LPTV) and TV translator stations. The Commission will decide on a new construction deadline for these permittees in the rulemaking proceeding in MB Docket No. 03-185. Until a decision is reached in the rulemaking decision and the Commission can determine the effect of the future incentive auction and repacking, permittees of new digital LPTV and TV translator stations may delay completing construction of their digital facilities.

This is a list of United States Code sections, Statutes at Large, Public Laws, and Presidential Documents, which provide rulemaking authority for this CFR Part.

FCC Form 601 was approved by OMB on December 5, 2014 and is effective on December 29, 2014.

47 CFR Part 74

Summary

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved on December 5, 2014, for a period for three years, a revision to an information collection for the FCC Application for Radio Service Authorization for the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, FCC Form 601. With this document, the Commission is announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the revised requirements for FCC Form 601.

This document contains corrections to the final regulations to the Commission's rules which were published in the Federal Register on Thursday, November 6, 2014 (79 FR 65906). The Commission published a clarification in the Declaratory Ruling, which clarifies how the Commission intends to preserve the “coverage area” of eligible broadcasters in the repacking process associated with the broadcast television spectrum incentive auctions. This document contains corrections to the adopted date.

Comments Due: December 29, 2014. Reply Comments Due: January 12, 2015. Written comments on the proposed information collection requirements, subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13, should be submitted on or before January 27, 2015.

47 CFR Parts 15 and 74

Summary

In this Third Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on a number of issues involving low power television (LPTV) and TV translator stations including measures to facilitate the final conversion of LPTV and TV translator stations to digital service and consider additional means to mitigate the potential impact of the incentive auction and the repacking process on LPTV and TV translator stations to help preserve the important services they provide.

Comments must be filed on or before January 5, 2015, and reply comments must be filed on or before January 26, 2015.

47 CFR Part 74

Summary

This document initiates a proceeding to address how to accommodate the long-term needs of wireless microphone users. Wireless microphones play an important role in enabling broadcasters and other video programming networks to serve consumers, including as they cover breaking news and broadcast live sports events. They enhance event productions in a variety of settings—including theaters and music venues, film studios, conventions, corporate events, houses of worship, and internet webcasts. They also help create high quality content that consumers demand and value. Recent actions by the Commission, and in particular the repurposing of broadcast television band spectrum for wireless services set forth in the Incentive Auction R&O, will significantly alter the regulatory environment in which wireless microphones operate, which necessitates our addressing how to accommodate wireless microphone users in the future.

Comments are due on or before January 5, 2015; reply comments are due on or before January 26, 2015.

47 CFR Parts 15 and 74

Summary

In this document, the Commission proposes and seeks comments on rules for unlicensed operations in the frequency bands that are now and will continue to be allocated and assigned to broadcast television services after the incentive auction, including fixed and personal/portable white space devices and unlicensed wireless microphones. The Commission also proposes and seeks comment on rules for the operation of unlicensed white space devices, and licensed and unlicensed wireless microphones in the 600 MHz Band, guard bands and duplex gap that will exist after the incentive auction.

This document clarifies how the Commission intends to preserve the “coverage area” as well as the “population served” of eligible broadcasters in the repacking process associated with the broadcast television spectrum incentive auction. This action is taken in order to remove any uncertainty regarding the repacking approach the Commission adopted in the Incentive Auction R&O.

The Commission announced that, effective immediately, it is suspending the expiration dates and construction deadlines for all outstanding construction permits for new digital low power television (LPTV) and TV translator stations. The Commission will decide on a new construction deadline for these permittees in the rulemaking proceeding in MB Docket No. 03-185. Until a decision is reached in the rulemaking decision and the Commission can determine the effect of the future incentive auction and repacking, permittees of new digital LPTV and TV translator stations may delay completing construction of their digital facilities.

Oppositions to the Petitions must be filed on or before November 12, 2014. Replies to an opposition must be filed on or before November 24, 2014.

47 CFR Parts 0, 1, 2, 15, 27, 73, and 74

Summary

The Federal Communications Commission published a document in the Federal Register of October 27, 2014 (79 FR 63883), regarding Petitions for Reconsideration filed of Action in a rulemaking proceeding. The document contained the incorrect deadline for filing replies to an opposition to the Petition. This document revises the deadline for replies to an opposition to the Petition.